With round one of the New Japan Cup in the books, cards have been finalized for the quarter finals, which wrap up on March 15 in Korakuen.

Korakuen Hall will host the last two quarter final matchups, with the main event pitting Kota Ibushi against Zack Sabre Junior. Ibushi was many people’s picks to win the New Japan Cup, and while he advanced to the quarter finals by beating YOSHI-HASHI in Amagasaki, the Headhunter certainly did some damage to Ibushi, which ZSJ will seek to hone in on. Unlike favourite Ibushi, Zack Sabre Junior was a dark horse before the tournament started. Yet he made everyone sit up and take notice when he submitted Tetsuya Naito in the first round.

These two faced each other last summer in the G1 Climax. That match was also in Korakuen Hall, and saw Ibushi come out on top with a sit down Last Ride. Now Zack seeks to get his win back, and certainly seems full of confidence. Proclaiming he has ‘a couple of submissions just for (Ibushi)’, ZSJ will look to make good on mouthpiece TAKA Michinoku’s promise to make his opponent ‘Just Tap Out’.

Ibushi was heading into the cup looking for vengeance against Naito for his loss in 2017’s G1. ZSJ threw that plan off, and Ibushi has confessed to concerns about being able to beat the British submission wizard. He’ll have to refocus and use his boundless energy to counter those ever changing holds of Zack Sabre Junior.

SANADA versus Toru Yano is another G1 Climax rematch. When these two met last summer, it was SANADA that was able to outsmart the master thief, stealing a victory by countout after locking in the Paradise Lock outside the ring. It seems more than brawn, it’ll be brains that wins this match, as well as mastery when it comes to bending the rules outside the ring.

Also on this stacked Korakuen card, old rivals Kazuchika Okada and Hiroshi Tanahashi face off after a long separation. Okada leads Chuckie T and Tomohiro Ishii to the ring while Tanahashi will team with Michael Elgin and Juice Robinson. Tanahashi holds the current record for most successful IWGP Heavyweight Championship reign of all time with ten defenses; a record Okada will seek to tie with his next title match. That is sure to play into tensions in this six man tag.

Then, after a knee injury sustained at the hands of Minoru Suzuki Togi Makabe returns, teaming up with Toa Henare to face YOSHI-HASHI and Hirooki Goto.

Be sure to check out all the action live and in English on the King of Sports streaming services: NJPW World! https://njpwworld.com/